Never give up. Initially the definition of this word indicated it was from French. I suspected a Latin origin and, sure enough, there it was and then I realized its sister Spanish still uses this word - frio, cold. Freddo is Italian. It does not appear, that I know of in Slavic or Germanic tongues in this sense.

Eighty or ninety per cent of French can be traced back to Latin. I think Doc, among others, has said French is Latin as spoken in France. The word itself fascinates me as it captures some of the feeling of the experience. Someone compared it feeling someone walked over their grave. The definitions suggest a wider usage, but to me it is always a shiver.

Most definitely a good Good Word. Perhaps now that it's come up for a second recommendation (The first is here.) it will get the treatment it deserves? Or is there no real tale to tell in the etymology?

Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

On the Germanic side I would say "frisch" meaning "fresh", as in "die frische luft" (the fresh air). It can mean the "cold fresh air." That is as close as I can get. Wish my Swedish or Dutch was more then a few phrases, it would be interesting to know if "frisson" had any roots in plattdeutsch or the other trading language dialects.

Words that sound somewhat alike are not necessarily cognates or even etymological sisters. I don't see any etymological source for frisson except from the cold hard facts of Latin. There are sound alikes from Germanic "fresh", also from our Latin source for "friction". The latter is the source of Slava's "friggin' cold". Friction does not usually produce coldness, Slava, quite the opposite. Also, friggin' is a naughty word.